The New Democratic Party has taken aim at two Okanagan Green Party candidates for comments made regarding abortion rights that were published in an online political outlet earlier this week.
In an Thursday news release, the NDP pointed out several instances of anti-choice rhetoric from Green Party candidates across the country, including Robert Mellalieu (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) and Marc Reinarz (North Okanagan-Shuswap).
According to an exclusive report by , Mellalieu refused to identify as 鈥減ro-choice鈥� or 鈥減ro-life鈥� because 鈥渋t is inappropriate to dilute the very complicated question of abortion to a simple binary answer.鈥� He then summed up his thoughts: 鈥淚 believe there should not be a need for abortion.鈥�
The report also contains a comment from Reinarz, who said: 鈥渁bortion must not be a means to birth control.鈥�
In an interview with Black Press Media, Reinarz said his sentiment is being misconstrued.
鈥淭his is not anti-abortion,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y standpoint is absolutely not anti-abortion鈥� I openly state that I don鈥檛 think its right to use abortion as a primary (method of) birth control. But who am I as a man in his 60s to decide what the consequences are if (a woman) doesn鈥檛 follow her mind?鈥�
Mellalieu could not be reached for comment but the Green Party candidate from the neighbouring riding of Kelowna-Lake Country provided his thoughts on the issue.
鈥�(Mellalieu鈥檚) statement is pretty politically neutral,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think what he might be saying is that if there were better social services in place, better ability for single moms to access affordable housing and they could make the decision to bring a child into this life knowing that they鈥檇 be well taken care of, maybe there might not be such a need for abortion as there is now under the current system.鈥�
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Robert Mellalieu, Green Party candidate for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, reached out to give his comments on the issue after the initial Black Press Media article published Thursday afternoon.
He said the statement he made in the report by PressProgress was misinterpreted.
鈥淚 will never waiver from a woman鈥檚 right to choose,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 sacrosanct, absolute, never changing that.鈥�
He clarified the statement he made saying he believes 鈥渢here should not be a need for abortion鈥� was in reference to the lack of systems in place to help women in extreme situations.
鈥淚 hate abortion,鈥� said Mellalieu. 鈥淪o I want to make sure there鈥檚 everything we do as a society to prevent the need for a woman to exercise that right.鈥�
He went on to explain that more services and education are needed so that abortion can be a last resort option.
鈥淏ut at all times, it鈥檚 still her right to do that,鈥� he said.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May called the NDP鈥檚 attempt to point fingers at candidates 鈥渄esperate.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the case,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are looking for details. We have no details about what they claim. We just know it is not true.鈥�
When asked about what freedoms Greens will have when it comes to speaking about abortion, May said the party is asking candidates to 鈥渁scribe鈥� to the party鈥檚 鈥渃ore values鈥� and its policy and platform.
鈥淭here is a lot of room for people to move around on some issues,鈥� she said.
But if would-be candidates have problems with abortion, she said they cannot run.
鈥淎s leader of the party, I don鈥檛 have the power to whip votes鈥� we think whipping votes is anti-democratic. But I am quite confident that our candidates support the party鈥檚 position, which that we mustn鈥檛 retreat on a woman鈥檚 right for a safe and legal abortion.
鈥淭he bad old days of women dying in back-alley abortions must never return.鈥�
May said the party did out would-be candidates because of their position on abortion.
鈥淲e actually had one person nominated, who we had to ask to stand down.鈥�
May said she felt bad about that decision because she was a very impressive candidate.
鈥淏ut she said that she couldn鈥檛 go along with it鈥o we did have some people removed well before the NDP tried to pretend that there was an issue. And they have candidates who don鈥檛 always agree with their positions. They whip votes; we don鈥檛.鈥�
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Abortion policy was a focus of Wednesday night鈥檚 french debate. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spent Thursday clarifying that he has no plans to reopen debates on abortion law, despite being 鈥減ersonally pro-life.鈥�
May called the abortion issue a media one, calling it 鈥渕anufactured.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 hear it all from the public,鈥� she said.
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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